National Chain of Pet Stores to Stop Selling Puppies Announces Partnership with SPCA

PJ’s Pets and Pets Unlimited, a Canadian owned and operated organization with 41 locations in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland, has announced their plan to no longer sell puppies in any of their stores as of September 1.

In an effort to focus on pet adoption service support to find homes for thousands of pets at local SPCAs, Humane Societies, rescue groups and shelters across the country – as well as to create awareness – the companies are launching the “Every Pet Deserves A Home Program,” the mission of which is to help increase the visibility of pet adoption agencies within local communities. According to company representatives, this will be achieved by offering space within their stores to educate the public on participating organizations and the pets up for adoption.

“More than two million pet lovers visit our stores every year. We recognized that we can provide a significantly positive effect on local pet communities by working with adoption agencies to help them find homes for their pets,” said John Jules, president and CEO. “We chose to stop selling puppies and turn our focus on the new adoption program. This decision allows us to create the welcoming space within our stores needed for adoption agencies and customers to connect.

Each location will boast a dedicated area for adoption organizations to distribute brochures/pamphlets, handle adoption applications and display photos of adoptable pets. If a location or store can accommodate it, kennel space will be reserved for shelter pets. In reaching out to a substantial list of groups to benefit from this program, PJ’s has announced that first to embrace it has been the Atlantic Network, which represents the Nova Scotia SPCA, New Brunswick SPCA, the SPCA of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Greater Moncton SPCA, the Fredericton SPCA and the PEI Humane Society. Since August 12, the Nova Scotia SPCA has had a presence in all nine of the Nova Scotia Pets Unlimited stores.

Pets Unlimited has ceased puppy sales in all of its stores earlier this year, and PJ’s will wind down sales by September 1. Perhaps most awe inspiring and important, between now and October 1, PJ’s will be working with their private kennels to help find adoptive homes for their breeding dogs and any remaining puppies.

For more information, contact Stacey Halliday, director of marketing for PJ’s Pets/Pets Unlimited at 877-707-PETS or 905-593-3177 Ext. 238, or Andrew Findlater of SELECT Public Relations at 416-659-1197. Visit the company’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages.